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Dangerous Heat Builds and Expands; Critical Fire Weather for the Southwest; Severe Thunderstorms for Plains and Midwest

Dangerous to record breaking heat will build across the center of the nation and slowly build eastward this week. Wildfire conditions remain critical for the Southwest and portions of the Great Basin through Monday. For the northern Plains and upper Midwest, severe thunderstorms with the potential for large to very large hail and severe winds are the primary hazards. Read More >

Overview

On Wednesday, December 15, 2021, a potent weather system crossed the northern plains. In our area, this resulted in some very strong northwesterly winds behind the cold front. The strongest wind gust was 79 mph at Wasta. These damaging winds caused numerous high-profile vehicles to be blown over, including a house that was being moved. Bands of snow accompanied the wind, which caused blowing snow and reduced visibility at times. A more significant band over south central SD resulted in the issuance of our first and second ever Snow Squall Warnings, where the high winds combined with falling snow to produce hazardous conditions. This was part of the same weather system that produced severe thunderstorms and tornadoes across portions of Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota. Image
Hazardous conditions that prompted our first Snow Squall Warnings.
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